Justin Bieber Meets His Match
by Spyderlover
Summary: Lilly Rae Allen is eighteen and the top dancer in California. She has already gotten her heart broken once, and she hates players. But what will Lilly do when she is chosen to dance on Justin Bieber's Believe Tour?
1. A Major Event

"This is it, the big one," I told myself. I fidgeted in the dark wings, tugging at my costume. It was just a pair of sweats, a black shirt, black converse and a denim jacket. My waist-length brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail. It wasn't much, this was our last number, a hip hop to the Black Eyed Peas.

The girls in front of me were jumping up and down, doing exercises trying to control their nerves. I have to admit I was feeling a little uneasy myself, this was our biggest concert yet. Over one hundred thousand people were out there in the audience, all here to watch the most successful studio in California. We had been preparing for over a year, it was a major event.

I swallowed. My mom would be out there, there was no way she would miss this. And my coach, Miss Maria Martinez would be watching me. She had been teaching me since I was four. I was educated in all types of dance. Hip hop, ballet, modern, and ballroom. I took private lessons twice a week and I competed almost every weekend. I only hoped it was enough.

A tall, blond girl two people in front of me turned around snottily, her hand on her hip. "Just don't try and be the center of attention as always Lilly," she warned me. Eighteen other girls turned to look at me.

"I don't know what you mean Irina," I said smoothly. No need to lose my temper right before the concert. We were the last number, after all of the preteen routines. We would be going on any moment.

"I mean don't try and out-dance me, it won't work," she sniffed.

"I don't try and out-dance anyone but myself, so get over it," I replied icily. Irina's face filled with anger but just then Maria came up to get us ready.

"Alright girls, this is it, are you all ready?" She asked, adjusting some people's costumes. "I want you to all close your eyes right now," she whispered. We did.

"Picture you are going out into our studio, to face the mirrors as usual. I want you to dance like you are just in the studio again, no crowd of people. Okay?" Her soothing voice seemed to flow through me. I could do this. It was large concert, even some celebrities would be here, but I couldn't let that bother me. I just had to do my best.

We opened our eyes and I heard the music fading from the routine before us. We got in our formation and prepared to run on. I would be center front. I tried to see the wooden floor from my studio instead of the stage, and mirrors instead of an audience. I could do this. Show time.

The music started, and I was another person. I was Lilly Rae Allen, dancer extrodinaire. I felt the beat and we ran on. I hit all of the quick poses perfectly. I was confident, I was unstoppable. I counted in my head, hitting everything exactly on time. I smiled, I didn't want to believe I was in the studio. Seeing the audience gave me an electric thrill, it gave me energy and I felt myself dancing harder then I ever had before. I felt alive, real, like this was the first time I had ever danced.

I saw some girls faces as they danced next to me, they looked amazed. I only danced harder, and I felt all eyes on me. The lights were glowing yellow, green, purple, red, all different colors, flashing over us.

Then came the strobe light, which meant my solo was coming. Everyone formed a half circle and I moon-walked into the middle, hitting complicated moves and poses right on beat. I kicked high and finished my solo off with a pirouette of ten spins, perfectly on balance, and landed delicately. The room was filled with applause and we moved into our last formation, me being center front again.

Then came the handsprings, the tricky part. I went through the checklist in my head. Arch back, pull legs over, tuck head. In my peripheral vision I saw Maria backstage standing with two people taller than her. Their eyes were on me. I didn't have time to dwell on it though, I arched back and did the handspring without a flaw. Apparently all of the other girls did too, the audience erupted into applause. We took each other's hands, walking into a line and bowed as everyone got to their feet and cheered. It was magical, like a dream. I had been waiting for that moment for eighteen years. I had completed my high school education for it, I had danced six hours a day for it, worked out in all my spare time. This was my moment, and I savored it.

We stood there until the lights dimmed and the clapping faded and we ran off, each of us laughing and grinning from ear-to-ear. Maria met us backstage and hugged us all, then we all hugged each other, even Irina.

"Good job, I have to say that solo was pretty incredible," Irina shrugged. I was tempted to smirk but I just pulled her into a hug.

"You're amazing," I told her.

Maria went to thank everyone for coming and the house lights turned on, signaling that everyone was leaving. We went downstairs to change into our normal clothes, but I was too full of the jitters. It was a very emotional night, it was my last time I would be dancing with the studio. I was too old now, it was only for girls under eighteen. Irina was sixteen, so she would be staying.

While all the girls changed in the dressing room I just sat by the wall, my legs pulled up to my chest. Where would I go now? Dance had been my life for so long. How could I just stop?

Suddenly Irina's voice caught my attention.

"Hurry, we should get to the after-party," she was telling more than half the girls.

"Why?" Asked dark-haired Charlotte.

"I heard Maria talking before the concert about a special someone here looking for dancers," she said mysteriously. I looked up.

"_Who_?" Sophi, Sebra, Elli and Lu cried. Everyone was listening now.

"Guess," Irina said. They all groaned.

"Give us a hint," begged Angelina.

"He's a singer," Irina said.

"Justin Bieber!" All the girls screamed, and my heart stuttered from the shock.

"Yes!" Screamed Irina, and everyone starting jumping up and down, their excited voices filling the room.

"Oh, will he be at the after-party?" Lexi and Ramona asked.

"Yes, him and Usher."

"Usher!?" More screaming.

"Why did they come?" They all cried in unison.

"I told you," Irina said, rolling her eyes. "They came to look for some more dancers for their concerts, just one actually." The screaming stopped, and all eyes turned to glance at me and flicker back to Irina.

"One of their dancers broke her leg and won't be able to dance for the next year. JB's next tour is coming up soon and they came to recruit someone. We obviously are the best studio, after all," she bragged, and several people nodded.

"Why didn't they just send someone, why did they come themselves?" Lynn asked. Irina shrugged.

"I don't know, all I know is that I'm going to get ready extra carefully," she said. They all agreed and I watched them silently, unmoving, as they fiddled with their concert makeup and their clothes.

It was eleven at night when they headed outside to the party in the courtyard by the concert hall. I sighed. Did I want to go? All my friends, including Irina, were obsessed with Justin Bieber. There would be a huge line for autographs and pictures, and it would be chaotic.

I rolled my eyes. Who cares anyway? Sure he's way hot and he has a cute voice, but I wasn't in the mood to be flighty like the rest of them. My mind was still on my performance, and where I would go after this. Mom and I had lived in LA forever. She had met my dad here, before he left us when I was three. It was home to us, but if we had to, we could leave. Where would we go? I would go to college probably, but I would need a job first. Dancing for Justin Bieber would be good . . .

Oh snap out of it! I scolded myself. Like that would ever happen. Besides, you can't trust Irina, you've learned that much. She was probably just trying to get us all to go with her to the party. Justin Bieber would definitely be a good way to get them there. Yes, there was no way he would come here. He would send his manager or something to do the job for him. A dancer was too insignificant anyway. All they did was dance behind him while he sang in his concerts. Sure, it would be great, and you would be famous, but that would never happen to me anyway. Just forget about. Irina was just lying.

I got up and pulled out my hair, letting it fall to my waist. I changed into my practice clothes, a purple shirt with black stretchy dance pants. I put my converse back on and grabbed my bag. I headed back towards the stage instead of the party. One last dance on the stage, and that would be the end of it.

The enormous auditorium was empty, not a soul in sight. The only lights on were the normal white ones on the stage.

I threw my back in the wings and took the staircase up to the tech booth, where I plugged in my iPod. I put on a song to give me time to run down to the stage again before the next song came on, my favorite to dance to. Clarity, by Zedd.

I took the stairs three at a time and hit the stage out of breath. I took my pose. Improv was my specialty.

The music turned on, and I was another person once more. Modern and ballet mixed, I pirouetted and then leaped, falling into the splits. Then I rolled across the floor and jumped up to do a perfect aerial. It was amazing, I loved the feeling of doing all the technique right, hitting everything right on time. Dancing was my life.

I didn't realize I was crying until the music started to fade. I quickly wiped the tears away and finished in a kneeling position, staring up at the ceiling, like I was praying. In a way I guess I was, praying that that would not be the last time I ever danced on a stage.

Suddenly, as my playlist ended and silence filled the stadium, I heard clapping. I looked to my left in surprise and saw someone in the shadows, leaning against the wall. The person straightened up and came out into the light. I breathed in sharply.


	2. Decisions

Justin Bieber was tall, and of course he had that famous, shining brown hair. He wore a black hoodie, jeans, red sneakers, and a dog tag around his neck. He was muscular, now no longer a boy. He looked more like a man, he was nineteen.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Teenage dream boy right in front of me. He had been watching me dance the whole time? Oh no, what did he think of it? Did he like the song? What would he have done if I had danced to one of _his_ songs? Would he like me better? What did he think of me now? With my messy hair and my sweaty clothing? And why wasn't he downstairs?

He was smiling as he walked towards me. He held out his hand. I took it and stood, adrenaline pulsing through my veins when my skin met his. I let go of his hand immediately.

"So, you're the star dancer that everyone has been talking about," he said. I didn't respond, just stared at him blankly.

"I was watching you just now, I like watching you." What? "You're really very good." I wasn't really listening, I was just trying to register that I was actually talking to the flirty teenage millionaire pop-star. He flipped his hair and waited for me to respond.

"Okay." I said. Great, real witty.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Lilly Rae Allen," I said automatically. He smiled.

"Cool name," he said, flipping his hair again. Wow, that's going to get annoying. "Like Carly Rae Jepson?" He asked.

"Yeah, everyone seems to connect somehow. I don't see why, we're nothing alike at all." I said frostily before turning my back on him and jogging up the stairs towards the tech booth. He followed me.

"Why are you following me anyway?" I asked, not looking at him as he caught up to me.

"I wanted to ask you if you want a job," he said, and I froze abruptly. He ran into me, knocking me down onto the stairs, and then he fell on top of me.

Oh. This is so not happening.

He wasn't extremely heavy, average young man weight, but still, I was shocked. Suddenly he rolled me over so he was on the stairs and I was lying on top of him. He grinned cutely at me. Did he really just do that? I mean, wouldn't some girls kill to be able to be in my situation?

I got out of my awkward position on top of him and he stood up.

"Sorry, my bad," he snickered. I glared at him. Who does he think he is? Some guy who thinks he can get whatever girl he wants? Yeah right! I'll show him.

I walked into the tech booth and retrieved my iPod, only to turn around and have him inches from my face, leaning towards me. He was smiling confidently, and I didn't like it. It made me uncomfortable. I slipped past him and headed downstairs.

"Let's just get one thing straight, you are _way_ too forward. I don't even _know_ you!" I said as I walked out onto the stage. I walked to the edge and folded my arms across my chest. He stopped beside me, his hands in his pockets.

"Sure you do, everyone knows me," he boasted. I gritted my teeth. He totally reminded me of one of those rich boys in school that got whatever he wanted. Good grades, the fancy car, the girl. I hated those boys, they were losers. Everything was handed to them on a silver platter, they didn't know the value of working for something and achieving their goal. They didn't know what real work was.

Whether it was being born into a home with a single mom, living in poverty and having to work everyday to be able to keep your tiny, three-room apartment. Whether it was walking to the fridge and seeing what little food was there or not being able to go to the movies with your friends because you spent it all on school fees and groceries. Rich boys didn't know what it was like to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.

Sure Justin Bieber had been born into a poor home, but he was given a voice, and everything that came with it. What did I have? Nothing. I had to work for everything freaking thing that I had wanted, everything was a privilege instead of a right. In short, I hated boys like Justin Bieber.

"So, why aren't you at the party?" He asked, making me snap back to reality. I shrugged stiffly.

"I figured it would be less hectic if I didn't throw myself into a swarm of autograph-wanting fan-girls," I replied, a bit annoyed. He laughed.

"Why aren't _you_ down there?" I asked suspiciously. He looked away from me.

"Actually I came here looking for you," he said. My breath caught in my throat. "You are by far the best dancer at your studio, and . . ." he trailed off and I waited.

"Well, you're not like the other girls," he mused. I stopped breathing. "You're less dramatic, easy to talk to, even if you don't flirt back like I want you to," he grinned meaningfully at me. I looked away.

"How did you find me here?" I asked curiously.

"I heard music," he said, and then paused.

"So, have you made up your mind?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"You would go on my next tour," he coaxed, "and you could learn the routines easy enough. My concert is soon, but you have so much experience that you could do it. Besides," he said, throwing a playful gin my way, "the pay is really great." He was trying to persuade me. It was working.

"My big concert starting my next tour is at Madison Square Garden. It's coming up pretty quick. We could get you a ticket to New York City and you could get choreography at a studio there. New York City," he repeated temptingly.

"I don't know . . ." I thought about it. It was still so unreal to me. Going to New York to perform at Madison Square Garden? It was like a dream come true. If I stayed here, I probably would not be able to dance any longer, but if I went, dancing would be my job! Now that was a real dream come true.

"Come on, if you stay here, you're just going to go to _college_ or something," Justin said. "Really, which is the better deal?"

I turned to face him, offended.

"On the contrary, Mr. Bieber, education may not be important to _some people_, but I think it is very respectable and useful, and just because you said that, I think I am going to graciously refuse your offer." I turned around to walk away but his hand caught my elbow and turned me around, pulling me to him.

"That wasn't very gracious," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss. I grabbed the side of his face and pushed his head away.

"Ugh, you are so _annoying_. Don't you respect other peoples personal space?" I snapped, freeing myself of his arms. His soft arms. Strong arms. Hot arms . . .

Focus Lilly.

"You know what?" I said to him. "I don't think I could stand a whole tour with you anyway." I turned on my heel, but he just pulled me back.

"Hey, come on Lilly, just say yes. Or do I have to persuade you?" He said enticingly. Uh oh, what would that involve? I grimaced.

"I think I'll pass."

"Lilly," he was pleading now. His brown eyes with irresistible. Wow, how could one guy be that attractive?

"Fine." I gave up. He was too good at this sort of thing, it was unfair.

Justin grinned.

Suddenly the stage doors burst open, and tons of screaming girls came running in, the girls from my team among them. Usher must have grown tired of them. He probably told the fans where Justin Bieber ran off to.

They almost ran me over as they passed, but I scooted out of the way just in time. Some gave me dirty looks but most ignored me as the ran across the stage to attack Bieber. Good thing they didn't catch us thirty seconds ago, they would see me and him, his arms around me. I didn't want to think of what would have happened if Irina had seen us like that.

Bieber completely forgot about me. I watched, disgusted, as he took pictures with each of them and smiled and flirted and winked. Stupid player, I thought. At least I had a job. At least I would still be able to dance. College could wait a couple of years, I didn't have enough money anyway. Yes, this is the right decision.

I picked up my bag and left Bieber to his fans.


	3. New Beginnings

I took a deep breath as I looked at the entrance to the plane. "Glendale, Arizona," read the sign above the doorway. I turned and gave my mom one last wave. She blew me a kiss, and I hesitantly walked down the long hallway.

dont get into trouble, said my mom's text as I took my seat in the middle class on the plane.

i wont, I replied. I put my phone away and stared out the window as the rest of the passengers boarded. Soon enough we were in the air, and I tried to relax, though unsuccessfully.

This is crazy, I thought to myself. It had been two weeks since my studio's big concert, and now I was off to New York to dance in Justin Bieber's Madison Square Garden concert before his tour. When Irina found out she had been livid, of course, so that was one thing I was glad I was leaving behind in California. But I would miss Maria, and my mom, a lot. Of course we could facetime and text and stuff, but this was such a huge deal. I wished they could be a part of it so much.

Mom had been reluctant to let me go.

"You're only eighteen," she reasoned. "A young girl alone in New York City is a recipe for disaster," she reminded me.

"I'm not that young Mom, and I won't _be_ alone. I'm rooming with the other dancers, okay? I'm a legal adult now, so I will decide this. I'm going, and I don't need your permission," I glared at her. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I just _had _to except. Wouldn't you?

"I didn't say you did, I'm only worried about you," Mom explained.

"There's nothing to be worried about," I promised. "I have a drivers license and a debit card, I know how to cook and do laundry. I'll be just fine. Besides, I'll come home as soon I have enough money to go to college. But until then, I know that this is the right thing to do. Trust me," I said, pulling her into a hug.

Maria had been less cautious, in fact, she had been thrilled I had agreed to this.

"Oh I knew they would love you Lilly," she assured me. "I was so surprised when their manager asked if they could come to our concert, but of course I said yes. I wanted it to be a surprise for you girls," she winked at me.

"I promised them a wide variety of girls to choose from, and they were very eager to see you girls for themselves. I knew that they would be especially impressed with you." She had given me a hug and had then sent me on my way.

My last errand before the airport was saying goodbye to my friends at the dance studio, all except for Irina, who grudgingly left the room before I got to her. Oh well, it was a lost cause anyway. She had always been a sore loser, it was just immaturity, at least I tried to convince myself that was the cause.

And now I was on my way to Arizona, a dancer for Justin Bieber, every girl's dream.

The plane wasn't long, it was about an hour. I doodled on my map of Glendale for most of it. My mind was absorbed in my thoughts, not my pencil, so when I looked down I saw a bunch of JB initials and hearts around them. I scribbled them out angrily and wadded up the paper. Stupid pop star, I thought. This job was amazing, but I knew I was in incredible danger of falling for him. He was so good at everything, except for making commitments.

I knew I had my priorities though. I went through the pros and cons of liking him in my head. If I fell in love with him I would want to stay, and I would not go back to LA for college. That would be bad, especially when he dumped me. I knew that he would, that's all celebrities ever did, dump each other. They were all too volatile to make commitments, and Justin would just leave me with a broken heart. I had to protect myself.

Then again, he was _so dang attractive_. And he seemed to be good at everything. His voice was low and sweet, the kind that played in my dreams at night. And just think of what my friends would say if they knew I was dating Justin Bieber . . . I grinned, then frowned. Oh, what's a girl to do?

When the plane landed it took me forever to find all five of my suitcases. I had taken with me practically every article of clothing I owned. I could have this job for three months or three years, it all depended on finances. I grimaced. Me. Age twenty one. I tried not to dwell on that.

I took an airport bus to the car rental, renting a blue convertible. My mom had provided the rental money, as a congratulations/going away present. It was a very nice car, and I loathed the fact that I would only be using it for the next couple of weeks.

I drove out of the car rental, pulling out my MapQuest directions to my hotel. I had received an email from JB's manager with all of the details. I would be rooming with a fellow dancer, and they had apparently payed for my hotel room already spoiling me way too much. At this rate I would be going home within the month.

When I pulled up to the hotel, my jaw dropped. Renaissance Glendale Hotel and Spa. It had to be at least a four-star hotel. It was gorgeous! A tall, white and brown building with large grounds, covered in palm trees. The place was enormous, obviously only wealthy individuals stayed here. I was honored, and slightly awed. If I wasn't careful I would start hyperventilating. I mean, come on. The fanciest place I had ever stayed at was probably a Hotel 8 in LA. This was a dream come true. I was really here!

I went around the roundabout drop off where two bellhops stood waiting. One asked for my keys, and I felt very professional handing them to him. The second bellhop helped me pull my luggage inside the spacious lobby. Inside there was sort of an island theme, with lots of orange and red. It was very nice. I grinned when I saw the beautiful pool, but then I reminded myself I wouldn't have much time for relaxing. This was a business trip, nothing more.

My room was on the third floor, I took the elevator. No way was I going up the stairs with all of that luggage.

The elevator stopped at my floor and I walked down the large, floral-carpeted hallway towards my room, butterflies trickling into my stomach. What if my roommate didn't like me? I tried to calm myself. First impressions were important, I didn't want to blow it.

I pulled out my key card but the door swung open before I could swipe it. A skinny red-haired girl grinned at me from inside.

"Oh my gosh, hi!" She squealed, pulling me inside the nice room. The bellhop put my things inside behind us. I tipped him and sent him on his way. My roommate shut the door.

"I'm Anna. Not Anna, aw-na," she pronounced slowly. "You must be Lilly!" She cried. The girl looked sweet. She was very freckled and athletic looking; she looked like someone I could easily get along with. I said a silent thank-you prayer in my head.

"Yeah, that's me," I said.

"Oh," she said, recognizing my tone. "You must be tired. Which bed would you like, I haven't unpacked yet." She said, gesturing to the two king-sized beds that sat side-by-side. The walls of our room were an ivory color, the carpet was orange with wavy lines across it. A large window faced the east, overlooking the city, half-covered with light orange curtains. There was a desk along the wall with a lamp on it, and a table with a flat-screen. The bathroom was large, with a hot tub. Yep, definitely spoiled.

I shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. The one by the window I guess."

"Okay, perfect. Ee! You know what, I have been so excited to meet you! My last roommate broke her leg and she won't be able to dance for at least a year. It was getting kinda lonely before now," Anna said.

"Yeah I guess it would," I agreed. "So how old are you?"

"Twenty-one," she replied. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen. Are most of the dancers older?" I asked curiously, going to my bags to unpack.

"Oh yes," Anna said, pulling out some clothes from her luggage. "You must be the youngest out of all of us," she told me. "But you seem so _mature_. I've heard so much about you. Tell me though, where did you train?"

"At a studio in California," I said, pausing. "Um, yeah, Justin Bieber asked me if I wanted this job," I said uncomfortably.

"Seriously?" Anna cried. "I have never, _ever_ heard of that happening before. See, I trained in Florida and then I heard they were having try-outs to dance in Justin Bieber concerts online, so I sent in a video. I never thought they would actually pick me, but somehow they did. That was four months ago."

"Oh. How many of you are there?" I asked.

"Hm, maybe twenty or so." She eyed me from across the room. "Wow, you must be really special if Justin Bieber actually _asked_ you. I mean, I know his tour is coming up real soon, and whoever they picked would have a lot to learn in a short amount of time. I'm just surprised. Scooter always chosen the dancers, not JB."

I smiled to myself. Really? Was I that special? I liked feeling special.

"Anyway," continued Anna. "You should probably get changed, rehearsal is in about an hour. It's at a professional studio downtown."

"Why is rehearsal so soon?" I asked, starting to freak out.

"Oh, we have it every day from five to nine. All of us already know the routines, so you'll have to catch on quickly."

Suddenly Anna's phone vibrated, receiving a text. She took it off of her bed and glanced at it, smirking.

"Wow, lucky you," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well lucky all of us really. Justin Bieber and Scooter are coming to watch us dance around eight tonight. They want to check on our progress."

"Who's Scooter?" I asked.

"Scooter Braun, you know, JB's _manager_."

"Oh, right," I said, nodding my head.

"He's the one that recruited me and all of the other _normal_ dancers," she winked at me.

"Wait a minute, they're coming to watch our progress? What progress? I haven't even started yet! They're coming to watch rehearsal? My _first_ rehearsal? How is that fair?" I asked angrily.

"Oh don't worry about it," Anna laughed. "If you're really as good as everyone thinks you are, you'll learn twenty routines soon enough." My jaw dropped.

"_Twenty_?" I shrieked.

"Relax," Anna said. "Our choreographer is great, and I'll be right there with you the whole time." She smiled reassuringly at me. I relaxed a little.

"Thanks," I told her. "That means a lot to me." She shrugged.

"So who's our coach?" I asked.

"He's not really a coach, more of a choreographer, he dances in our performances with us. His name is Nick DeMoura, he's a professional hip hop dancer," she explained. "He's a really crazy dancer, and he's hot," she added. I laughed.

"Hotter then Justin Bieber?" I countered. She bit her lip.

"Ugh, that's a tough choice. I would have to say yes though, because Nick is much more my age, and well . . ."

"JB is only nineteen," I prompted.

"True, but he's closer to _your_ age," she nudged me.

"Yeah right! There is no possible way I would _ever_ be with Justin Bieber!"

"Why not?" She demanded.

"Well . . ." I paused. "I'm not exactly into guys who are eager to kiss and then break up, you know? Besides, have you seen his tattoos?"

"Ha ha, yes!" Anna giggled. "They are so _weird_!"

"I know!" I agreed. "There all the way up his arm and all over his chest! If you ask me, that is _so_ not attractive."

"That seems like a funny reason not to like him."

"Want me to give you some more? Hm, let me see. Well, practically every teenage girl nationwide is in love with him, whether they like it or not. And what about his girlfriend?"

"Selena Gomez? Oh, who cares! He's probably cheated on her _loads_ of times!"

"Exactly. I feel bad for her, who wants a boyfriend who flirts with girls all day, even girls he barely even knows!"

"As in you?" Anna said slyly. I looked at her sheepishly. She grinned.

"Okay," I admitted. "Yes, he flirted with me, he even knocked me over too . ."

"What!"

"Yeah, and made me lie on top of him . ."

"Oh my gosh girl, give me some details!" She begged me. I laughed, and we discussed my dealings with the teen pop star and whether or not I should like him as I unpacked my clothes into the closet and a bureau in the corner. Then I took my toiletries to the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Anna helped me chose an outfit to wear, I was feeling just a bit of pressure from the fact that Justin Bieber would be watching me. Again.

We decided on tight grey pants and a neon yellow workout shirt for me, and black and pink for her. Anna pulled my hair into a high bun and then we were ready. I grabbed my brown shoulder bag and we headed out the door.

"Sorry, can I get a ride? I haven't rented a car . . ." Anna said.

"Sure, don't worry about it," I said, happy I would not be going alone. We found my convertible in the parking lot.

"_Wow_, is that _yours_?" She asked.

"Yep."

"I thought you said you were saving for college! Where are you going, Harvard?" She said as we climbed in."

"Nope, this was my mom's doing. I'm pretty sure it's like her whole life savings or something," I explained. We stopped by a fast-food place before heading over to the studio, Anna reading me the directions as I drove. I tried to slow down my breathing.

Relax, Justin Bieber won't be here until eight. That gives you three hours to get yourself situated and comfortable. Inhale, exhale.

Anna looked at me, concerned. She looked just a bit nervous herself, and I realized she was anxious to see our instructor. I giggled and smiled at her, and she laughed.

"Don't worry, there is a whole lot more pressure on me then on you," I said.

"Psh, I told you, you've got this." I looked at her, amazed how good of friends we were already. I was right, Anna was definitely someone I could trust.

"Oh, look, here it is!" She exclaimed, pointing. The studio wasn't large, but it was professional, with palm trees around it and wide, tinted windows. I parked the convertible, pausing to admire it vainly, and then we walked through the glass doors into the lobby of the studio.


	4. First Impressions

The floor was covered in dark green carpet, and there were chairs along the wall with matching cushions. There was a long hallway stretched out in front of me with a vending machine, bathrooms, and a few other rooms. There was a counter with some swivel stools, and a small kitchen. To my left were some more glass doors which separated us and the dance room. The place was really nice, of course they could afford something like this.

Just then I saw a chinese man wearing a t-shirt and jeans standing in front of us. He looked native, but when he walked up to us and spoke it was obvious he was from the U.S.

"Hello Anna. Welcome Lilly, I've heard so much about you," the man said. "We are honored to have you here." I almost snorted. Honored? That seems a bit much. Then I remembered Anna telling me how she tried out for this, and then how Justin Bieber himself asked me to be a part of his tour. Yeah, okay, honored is the right word for it I guess.

"Thank you for having me," I replied shyly.

"Lilly, this is Jon M. Chu, he's the director of the tour," Anna explained lightly.

"Oh, nice to meet you," I mumbled. He smiled kindly.

"We have all been really anxious to meet you and see you dance. I hope you don't mind if Scooter and Justin come and watch you tonight?" He asked hopefully. What?

"No," I muttered, crossing my fingers behind my back. Mr. Chu grinned.

"Good. I hope you like the hotel?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's really nice," I said. "Thank you so much." He shrugged.

"Allison's choice," he replied, and I wondered who Allison was. "Now, if you go through those doors we can get started with the rehearsal." He pushed us forward towards the doors, and we stumbled inside.

The room was spacious, with a wooden floor. There was a long line of mirrors along the wall, and a sound system in the corner.

There were twelve other people in the room, four girls and eight guys, all over the age of twenty. Their eyes were on me. I gulped uncertainly. A man about our height with brown hair stood in front of the group. He looked to be maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. He was cute too. I glanced at Anna, who was about as red as her hair. Oh, so this was the famous Nick DeMoura. I coughed to hide a laugh.

"Hey, come on in, we were just getting started. Guys," said the man, speaking to the dancers, "this is our newest addition to our crew, Lilly Rae Allen," he announced in a deep voice. I looked at the dancers, expecting them to be looking at me enviously, but I was surprised. They all looked very welcoming, and I relaxed a little.

"I am Nick DeMoura, I choreograph the dance routines for JB's concerts," he said as we set our bags down and walked over. Nick turned to the group of people beside him.

"This is our dancers crew. This is Jonathan, but we like to call him Jonboogiee," Nick half-laughed, along with the rest of group. I shifted my weight uncomfortably. This was obviously an inside joke that I was unfamiliar with. I mean, Jonboogiee? What kind of nick-name was that?

"And this is Luke, Johnny, DJ, Shaun, B, and Melvin, who we like to call Melly," Nick specified again. All the guys all exchanged grins, and I felt like an outsider once more, though only for a second. I was a part of this now, time to start acting like it.

"And here are our ladies, Kaili, Salemah, Elysandra, and Christina." The girls smiled at me, and I did my best not to look intimidated as I returned the favor.

"We are all very good friends here, so don't worry if you mess up. Melly here messes up enough for all of us," Nick joked and punched Melvin in the shoulder. All the dancers laughed, and then it quieted down. They turned back to the mirror, and Anna and I walked behind them to do the same.

"Alright Lilly," Nick said, looking at me through the other dancers. "You know you're going to have to learn a bunch of routines in a short amount of time. We've been looking for a dancer good enough for a while, but no one really seemed to stand out in try outs. Now that we have you, we can move on. Okay, let's take it from the top," he said, and the music started.

It was easier then I thought. I danced in the back, so as not to draw attention to myself, but there was no reason to. It wasn't just that everyone looked in the mirror to watch me dance, whether I was in the back or not, but I didn't mess up at all. I mastered the first routine in an hour, and the second in forty-five minutes.

"I can see this is going to be difficult," Nick joked, and the dancers looked at me admiringly. I looked at the ground.

We continued for another half an hour and then were allowed a break. I was tired and sweaty. I went to my purse to get out my snack. I expected everyone to split into cliques to eat, boys and girls maybe, but they all grabbed their snacks and sat down in one big circle. It was nice, refreshing. So unlike high school. I sat beside the girls, and made friends with all of them very quickly. The whole company was very friendly. They were all just very down-to-earth people, no pun intended. They were all such good friends and they were so impressed with my dancing that I fit right in, whether or not I was the youngest. I was just barely eighteen after all, I had been a late bloomer in my Senior class.

Our dinner break was too short, and Justin Bieber and Scooter Braun would be arriving soon. I went to the bathroom down the hallway to clean myself up, changing into a clean black shirt. I washed my face, redid my hair, and re-applied deodorant.

Wait a minute, what was I doing? Why did it matter if I looked hot and sweaty in front of these visitors? None of the other dancers were doing this. I felt like a wimp. Okay, sure Justin Bieber was coming, I thought, my stomach doing a flip involuntarily. I glared at it. This was no big deal, I shouldn't get nervous. I just didn't _get_ nervous. Not now, not ever. With that in mind I went back into the dance room.

Everyone was warming up again, and I copied them. That's when I saw three figures through a window in the lobby. They were sitting on stools high enough to peer in at us. One was Mr. Chu, the second was a man with a small beard, glasses and a full face, and the third was the cutest boy imaginable. I cringed at my thoughts, but focused on him for half a second.

He was staring intently at me as I stretched into the splits. I looked away quickly, but I had noticed something. He seemed different from the boy I met in LA somehow. Oh, I realized. He wasn't flirting. Duh, that's why he looked so different. He didn't have that confident gleam in his eye like he had something hidden up his sleeve. He looked . . . normal. I relaxed a little and I gained confidence. I could do this. I was in now, I was a part of this. This was my dream, to dance. I was not afraid.

The last hour was intense, and long. I tried not to peek at the window to my right, but I slipped a few times. The first time I looked in my peripheral vision, and I saw the three men discussing something, huddled together. The second time I peeked through my hair, and they were looking at an iPad on Mr. Chu's lap. And the third time I actually turned my entire head to glance at the window, and they were all looking right at me. My head snapped back to the mirror. Wow, no pressure or anything.

At the end of the hour Nick seemed very pleased with my progress, and we ended five minutes early. I was positively exhausted, even though I had danced six hours a day back home in Cali. Today I had endured a plane ride and a four-hour practice, dancing for one of those hours in front of the most famous teenager in the United States. Yeah, I was exhausted.

Christina, Salemah and I chatted as we packed up our things, wiping seat from our faces. They complimented me persistently, and I waved them off each time.

"Really, I'm just here to get money for college," I assured them. "I'll get what I need and then I'm out of here!" I said, sounding more like I was persuading myself then my friends.

"I don't believe that," Salemah protested. "Come on, isn't it just a dream come true to come and dance here? So many people tried out, but Scooter turned them all away. You don't know how lucky you are."

"I suppose. This truly is amazing," I agreed. "Believe me, I'm just trying to take it all in right now." They agreed and hugged me before leaving. Anna was saying goodbye to Nick as I picked up my bag, and I looked through the window again. Scooter and Mr. Chu were packing up, and Justin Bieber was too. Suddenly I saw him looking at me. He gave me an approving smile before picking up his stool and walking away. Wow. He looked so different now that he had grown up, but a good kind of different. My kind of different.

"Lilly, what are you staring at?" Anna's voice startled me, and I realized I had been staring at an empty window for the past minute.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly. She didn't look convinced.

"Uh huh, yeah, you were looking at him, weren't you?" She whispered.

"Whatever," I mumbled and she laughed.

"So, did you talk to Nick?" I asked, quickly changing the subject. She looked at the ground as we walked out of the studio.

"Yeah, I did." There was something in her tone. Shame?

"What?" I pressed. She sighed.

"Okay, look. I've been trying to get up the courage to ask him out every since I first saw him, but I just can't do it! He makes me nervous, and I can't think right when I'm around him. I get all tongue-tied when I talk to him and I'm afraid I'll look like a dork if I ask him out," she admitted.

"Oh come on," I said as we walked out into the chilly-evening New York air. "You're such a beautiful dancer, he would say yes," I promised.

"Are you sure? You don't think he likes Christina, or Elysandra?" She asked. I considered this.

"He might, but they sure don't feel that way about _him_. He's nothing but an instructor and a friend to them, I can tell. Come on, you can do it!" I encouraged. She looked at me.

"Okay, I'll ask him out if you ask Justin Bieber out," she grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"No way. Me? Ask out _Justin Bieber_?"

Anna laughed, but I got the feeling that she wasn't kidding.


	5. Remembering

When we arrived back at our hotel my thoughts were still on the rehearsal, my stomach still tied up in knots. He had been _watching_ me as I danced! Justin Bieber! Analyzing my every move! What in the world did he think of me? I shuttered. I didn't want him to think I was the type of girl that flew out of state just to dance on Justin Bieber's Believe tour . . . I wondered if he ever got sick of it. I knew that he loved his fans, but I also wondered if he ever gets tired of girls falling in love with him. I really didn't want to be like that, but I found myself staring off dreamily into the distance as we walked inside the hotel.

I babbled happily with Anna as we prepared for bed. I was attempting to distract myself from my thoughts, but when I climbed into bed and turned off the lamp my mind filled with pictures of that unbelievable face again. I rolled onto my side and stared out the window at the city lights, illuminating the dark sky. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

R-i-i-i-p! I heard my backpack tear, and my books tumbled to the ground. I bent down to pick them up, but a pair of hands were already there, stacking them into a neat pile and handing them to me. I looked up, meeting a pair of shimmering blue eyes.

"Wow, sorry about your backpack," said the boy, and my heart fluttered at the sound of his attractive voice. He was cute, with dark, untidy hair and a dazzling smile.

"It's okay, it does that all the time," I lied nervously. He laughed.

"Your backpack rips open all the time?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, standing up with my books in hand.

"Thanks," I said.

"I'm Jake," said the boy, holding out his hand. I struggled to get one hand free, and he laughed again.

"Here," he took my books with one hand and grasped my right with the other, sending goose bumps up my arm.

"Jake," he repeated.

"Lilly," I smiled shyly at him, and he handed my things back to me.

"I'll see you around?"

"Sure," I replied, hoping.

* * *

I woke with a start, sweat pouring down my face. I propped myself up on my elbows, panting. What had just happened? I thought I had forgotten all about that, I hadn't thought of it for at least a couple of years. I had thrust it out of my memory, I never wanted to go back to that time. Oh, I wanted to die. Tears were pouring down my face.

There was only one logical explanation for this sudden remembrance of my Junior year in high school. Ever since those few short months, I hadn't felt affection for another boy. And now I was finally feeling again, and it was awakening horrible memories of the past along with it.

I shuddered, I hoped that wasn't true. What I would give to forget those months. There was only one way to forget it; stop feeling altogether. No falling for boys, it was unacceptable. I would only end up hurting myself again. I wanted to blame it all on the teen pop star, this was entirely his fault.

"Lilly?" Anna's groggy voice startled me, she was sitting up in her bed. I glanced at the clock, it was seven in the morning. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, but my voice trembled. She noticed, and she was instantly awake.

"No you're not, Lilly tell me. What's bothering you?" She asked softly. I shook my head.

"Nothing."

"Nothing you want to talk about you mean," she assumed. I nodded.

"Okay then, if that's what you want. But you know, if you ever _do_ want to talk about it, I'll listen. You can trust me," she promised. I smiled vaguely.

"Thanks. I hope you know you can trust me too," I said.

"So do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now Anna."

"Okay," she gave up.

I laid back down and stared at the sunlight playing on the ceiling.

I successfully distracted myself until rehearsal, busying myself with exploring the hotel and hanging out with the other dancers. Then it was four o'clock, and we headed back to our rooms to get ready.

When we got to the studio our two visitors were not there, which was a relief. I could focus on my dancing and not the pair of brown eyes staring at me through the window. Nick did however, have unsettling news to tell us.

"A week from today is when JB will come in to rehearse with us," he told us. "We will be assigning partners for you all, and he'll need to have a partner too. He'll rehearse with us for another week before the dress rehearsal at the Arena, so let's work hard to be ready. I want us to look flawless," he said. I looked at Anna, who was biting her lip.

"Have you ever had Justin Bieber in rehearsal with you before?" I whispered to her, assuming that's why she looked so nervous. She shook her head.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what?" I asked, and she looked down.

"Um, well, when Nick said 'partners,' I guess that means he is going to be assigning them. Which will mean . ." she trailed off, and I realized what she meant.

"Don't worry about it. He'll pick you, I know he will," I said. She smiled gratefully at me.

"I hope so."

"Hey, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about! You've got this! As for me . ." I sighed.

"Oooh, I hope you get paired up with the Biebs!"

"Oh, shut up!" I whispered playfully, and she giggled.

"Okay everyone, from the top!" Nick called, and we ran to our positions. We were dancing to normal JB singles from his album since he couldn't be at every practice to sing the songs himself. The choreography was genius, I loved it. I could barely imagine dancing while Justin actually _sang_. I was just a girl from LA, this just didn't happen to people like me. And here I was, preparing for JB's Believe tour. Oh. My. Gosh.

The next week was stressful, with four hours of dancing each day. I knew all the lyrics of practically every JB song by then. I had learned all twenty routines in less than a week, but it was hard. Sometimes I got the steps mixed up. But I practiced constantly, asking Anna if I was doing this step in the right place in the routine, or if I was doing the correct technique. All the other dancers had had months to learn and master the routines, and what did I have? One freaking week! Although I was stressed, I tried to remind myself how lucky I was to be there. So many girls would do anything to be me, I had to be grateful.

Each night I came home exhausted, collapsing on my bed, still fully dressed. When I wasn't at the studio or practicing on my own, I was sleeping. It seemed the circles under my eyes just kept on getting darker. On top of it all, the day of the first practice with JB was coming up quickly, and my nerves were acting up.

Finally the day came, and we pulled up to the studio in my blue convertible. My hands trembled as I got out of the car, shutting the door behind me. Anna noticed.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked kindly.

"No," I admitted.

"What is there to be afraid of? I mean come on, this is your _job_. And, you're a _way_ better dancer than him anyway. Have you ever noticed he never dances full out? He's always singing during his concerts, and when he does actually dance, it's very half-hearted, nothing really special. You'll outshine him, so chillax," she said.

"Outshining him isn't what I'm worried about," I mumbled as she pulled me into the studio.

My heart was beating uncontrollably, I couldn't slow it down. I smoothed my hair, which was in its usual bun, and adjusted my navy blue shirt. I had checked my reflection in the mirror at least ten times back at the hotel before Anna had finally dragged me out. This was a big deal, I wanted to look perfect. I didn't feel nervous anymore, I felt positively terrified. This was Justin Bieber for heaven sake! He was the nation's heartthrob, and I would be literally dancing in the same room with him! I felt like I was carrying the weight of the sky. I was the newbie, everything was new to me, and I was dancing in the Believe tour. Why could I not grasp that?

Then, just as we walked through those glass doors and onto the wooden floor, I paused. What the heck was I doing? I was Lilly Rae Allen! I had danced my whole life without anything like this happening. I never got nervous, ever. I should not show fear, that would make me look vulnerable anyway. My thoughts flickered to my dream the previous week, and I scowled. I was not afraid of Justin Bieber. I was not afraid of anything. I walked in.

Everyone was standing along the wall of mirrors, Justin among them, wearing a wife-beater, leather pants, gold sneakers. A purple cap covered that famous hair. He was talking to Nick, and Scooter was with them. Then Scooter turned and walked past us, probably going to watch from the window in the lobby.

As he passed us Justin's eyes followed him, meeting mine. I looked away quickly, occupying myself with putting down my bag. Forget him, I told myself. This is your job, you're getting paid for this. Focus.

Anna and I walked over to the group and listened in on what Nick was saying.

"Alright, I've already taught Justin the routines, but we all need to get a feel for each other before the concert. Let's take from the top everyone!" Nick called, walking over to the sound system in the corner. The first dance was All Around the World, and we took our places.

I could feel the tension in the room, everyone wanted to look good for Justin, including me. The music started, and we began.

The dance went smoothly, it was super easy. Easy enough that I had time to wonder if it was awkward for Justin to dance to his own voice when he wasn't actually singing. Did he ever get tired of his fame? Ever get tired of seeing his face staring back at him everywhere he went? On t-shirts or posters? I wondered if he really did like it at all. What if it was all just a show? Was he only pretending he really loved his fans? He was only nineteen after all, he was growing up in front of a camera. The kid had loads of pressure on him. Was it ever just too much for him?

With a start I realized I didn't know the boy at all. I had always loved his music, but Justin was a real person, not just a face.

"Lilly? Did you hear what I said?" Nick's voice made me snap back to reality. Everyone was staring at me. Oh, was the dance over?

"Um," I choked. "No, sorry."

"I said you'll be dancing with Justin for As Long As You Love Me, are you okay with that?" Nick asked. _What?_ I glanced at Justin, his face was unreadable.

"Yeah, I'm good with that," I recovered, shrugging indifferently. For some reason everyone laughed.

"Kay, so Lilly will be with Justin," Nick goes on, and my palms started to sweat. "As for the rest of us, Anna, you'll be with me, Christina . . ." I glanced at Anna, who was smiling uncontrollably, wringing her hands. I knew Nick would choose her! I was happy for my friend. I winked at her triumphantly, and she struggled vainly to compose her excited face. I snorted, and Justin beside me glanced at me. I felt my face grow warm. Oh, how embarrassing . . what must he think of me now?

"Okay, let's go through it slowly from the beginning. Justin will be in the middle here, coming out from behind us on the third "as long as you love me," right?" Nick explained. We went through the first part of the dance slowly, with counts. Then came the second verse, where we get into partnerships. Gulp. Justin Bieber was _my_ partner . . . of all the girls to choose from, Nick had chosen _me_. I was actually like, going to _touch_ him! Double gulp.

Suddenly I scolded myself. Wasn't this exactly what I was trying to stay away from? I was not allowed to like Justin, he reminded me too much of last time . . . it wasn't safe. Nope, don't even think about him. This is your job, this is your job, I repeated in my head.

And then I was dancing with him. It was like a dream, it was so surreal. For years I had only seen his face through pictures on the internet or in his movie, but now this was actually happening. I was actually dancing beside him, he had literally just touched my hand . . . oh man, I was freaking out.

The rehearsal flew by, and I savored every moment. But the dream had to end, and Nick dismissed us four hours later. We packed up our things and I hurried out into the foyer, I didn't want to be caught alone with the Biebs. That would be so not good for my sanity.

I stood talking to Elysandra and Melly when I glanced back inside the studio to see Justin dancing in the mirror, his hands in his pockets. The way he danced was different than I was used to, not polished or refined. Anna was right, it looked almost half-hearted, but that was his style. Besides, he would be singing at the same time, and that was crazy in itself.

I was just fine watching him dance by himself, relaxed and totally at ease, but suddenly my eyes zoned out and I was in a different place, a place I didn't want to be.


	6. Destiny

My old studio, back in LA. It was nighttime, and Maria was in her office in the back of the room, me in my usual spot in front of the mirrors. I was younger, just sixteen. Everything in the room was the same, the old wooden floor, the skylight on the ceiling, the dressing room beside Maria's office. The only thing different was the boy sitting along the back wall of the room, legs crossed, eyes on me.

"Lilly," he called to me. I turned around immediately.

"What's up?" I asked as I jogged over lightly. He stood up, taking my hands in his when I reached him.

"Listen, I've been thinking," he said thoughtfully, playing with my fingers.

"Uh oh, he's been thinking," I giggled.

"No really, listen," he snapped, and I stopped laughing. What had I said?

"I've been thinking about us." Uh oh. Suddenly I started to hyperventilate. We had been dating for three months, and it had been the best of my life. This couldn't be happening!

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?" I asked warily, struggling to keep my voice under control.

"No," he said hastily, and I relaxed. Why had I jumped to such conclusions? That was just silly. Of course I had been wondering where our relationship had been going, but I was stupid to believe that he would ever, _ever_ leave me.

"Oh my gosh Jake, you just can't say that to me, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I said.

"Lilly, just listen for a second, please," he pleaded.

"Okay," I said, suddenly on my guard. He seemed so reserved, so serious. He was never like this, what was up?

"I've sat here every day after school for like, three hours just watching you dance," Jake began. "I was just wondering, maybe, if you want still want this . . ." he looked into my eyes. "Well, maybe you could give it a rest for a bit," he suggested. I didn't smile.

"What?"

"Well, you know, I just want to spend more time with you, and if you're dancing all the time we can't do anything together, not really," he said. "I mean, unless you count me sitting here watching you."

"That's your choice Jake, I never told you that you _had_ to sit here and watch me practice," I said icily.

"No I know, but I just think you dancing all the time, is, well, to be honest, a little excessive," he admitted sheepishly. I blinked.

"You barely have enough time for homework, let alone hanging out with me. I mean, don't you want to spend to with me?" He asked, sounding hurt.

"Of course I do Jake," I reassured him, "but it almost sounds like you're trying to tell me what to do. This is a commitment I've made, I want to be the best performer I can be. The only way to do that is to dance as much and as hard as I can!"

"I get that, but can't you at least put a limit on how long you're here in the studio? You dance like twenty-four-seven, it's almost selfish," he said. I was taken aback.

"Selfish?" I pulled my hands out of his.

"Yeah," he said.

"I don't think you understand. Dancing is my life, this is what I've chosen to do!"

"Oh, okay, I get it. You're choosing dance over me," he said.

"No! That's not what I'm saying at all!" I cried. "You'remaking me choose between you and dance! I told you this was the way it was going to be."

"Yes, but I didn't know you were serious! Come on, I want to be with you! This is coming between us Lilly."

"No it's not!" I glared. "You are putting this between us, this is your choice!"

"Maybe it's time for _you_ to make a choice!" He raised his voice. My breath caught in my throat.

"What?" I squeaked.

"Me, or dance? One or the other, you can't have both. Which one do you care about most?" He shouted.

"No, Jake, don't do this to me! I love you both–"

"There, don't you see? You act like it's a person or something, it's controlling you!"

"No, _you're_ controlling me! You can't tell me how to live my life! This is what I have chosen to do, it's what I love. If you really love me, you'll let me do what I want!" I yelled.

"If _you_ really love _me_, you'll quit dance! Choose!" He ordered, and I felt like he had just stabbed me with a dagger. A sob ripped through my throat.

"Jake," I pleaded, my voice quiet. "Please." He shook his head and only glared, folding his arms.

"Take me or leave me," he said firmly. Really? Was there no other option?

"Jake, Jake. I can't! I just can't," I wept, kneeling on the ground and putting my face in my hands. I heard the studio door slam shut.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, is she okay? Is she alright?"

"What happened?"

"Did anyone see?"

"I don't know, she just standing here, and she was fine . . ."

"It was weird, she turned around and suddenly collapsed."

"Is she still breathing?"

My eyelids were heavy, I didn't want to open them anyway. I wanted to die.

"Lilly, Lilly can you hear me?" A voice asked. My eyes flew open at the sound of his voice. Every head was around me, staring down at my face. I was lying on the floor, and my head throbbed.

"Are you alright?" He asked. My hand went up to my head, and I sat up. He was kneeling beside me.

"I don't know, I guess so," I said, completely disoriented.

"It was a pretty long practice, you probably pushed yourself too hard," he suggested, taking hold of my arms and lifting me up onto my feet. As groggy as I was, I could still feel a slight tingle on my skin beneath his touch.

"No, that's not it," I protested. "I just need to get home. Anna?" I asked, still clutching my head.

"Right here," she said from beside me, putting an arm around my waist and leading me to the door. Justin let go of my arms unwillingly.

"I'll take her home guys, it'll be fine," Anna promised. I looked back at my friends but kept my eyes safely away from his concerned face. I had to stop, I couldn't do this.

Anna helped me into my car and asked for the keys.

"I'm not going to let you drive like this, I'll drive," she told me, and I surrendered the keys.

We drove out onto the road, wind whipping our hair.

"Okay, you _have _to tell me Lilly," Anna ordered suddenly. "Something is going on with you, and I don't care if you don't want to talk about it, you're going to."

I almost smiled. That was what I loved about my roommate, she knew what I needed most, and I was through with keeping secrets from her.

"So, what's going on?" She asked again. I sighed and told her, watching her face while she kept her eyes on the road. She looked mostly understanding, until I got to the end.

"And that was it, I never spoke to him again," I said slowly.

"Never?"

"Never."

"But, what happened to you?" She asked. I looked down at my arms, which were folded tightly across my chest.

"I don't even want to think about it. I felt like the world had ended, it was my first relationship after all. He was there for such a short time, and then he was gone. I wouldn't eat anything, I wouldn't do my homework, I wouldn't talk to anyone, at all. For weeks my mom tried to force things out of me, but I was always. I never left my room, I didn't shower, I wouldn't go to school. It _was_ the end of the world for me." I paused, and we were silent for a moment.

"Why?" She asked quietly. I looked out at the passing lights.

"I don't know, I guess I thought I loved him. I blamed Jake leaving me on my dancing, I blamed myself for not agreeing to his terms."

"But didn't anyone tell you it wasn't your fault? How did you get over it?" Anna pressed.

"It was obvious that dance was the reason he left me, but in the end I also knew it was the only way I could go on." I laughed without humor.

"It's sounds really sappy, but dance is what saved my life."

"How?" Anna urged.

"After that I never stopped dancing. It helped me focus, helped me forget. And ever since then I have stayed away from things that reminded me of him. I had chosen dance over the boy I thought I loved, and I guess I was trying to make myself not regret the decision."

"And then tonight," she reminded me, and I sighed.

"Yeah, that was really stupid. Anna, I've tried to forget so much of my life that I also forgot how to feel. For a long time I refused flirt or go out on dates or hang out with friends. It didn't want any reminders of how things used to be. Tonight I saw Justin dancing in the studio, and I guess it caused a flashback."

"Why?"

"Up until now I haven't felt anything for someone else, it brought back memories."

"Up until now?" She asked, and the mood in the car changed. I blushed. Whoops, I had said too much.

"You like Justin Bieber?" She accused happily.

"No, at least I'm trying to convince myself not to."

"_Why_?" Anna asked incredulously.

"Because, these feelings remind me too much of Jake, I can't go back to that again. It broke my heart, it ripped me to pieces. Without dance, I never would have survived this long."

"Yes, and without dance you would not be here to dance with the crew. Did it ever occur to you that you meeting Jake was meant to happen?"

"No!" I snapped.

"Oh come on, if he hadn't broken up with you, you never wouldn't have gotten this far in dance. What if you were meant to meet him so you could meet Justin?"

Her words stopped me. It was true, after Jake left I was more dedicated to my dancing then ever, and I practiced harder then ever too. If I had stayed with him, I would not be here. If he had stayed, I never would have met Justin. What if this was destiny?

"Do you believe in destiny Anna?" I asked. She smiled.

"Yes, at least I think I do. I think it was destiny when you dropped your books on that first day you met Jake. I think it was destiny that Justin heard music coming from the auditorium the day of the concert, otherwise he probably wouldn't have found you. And I think it is destiny that you are here now with him. Fate is fighting for you. Why don't you go along with it?"

I didn't answer, just stared out into the night. We didn't speak for a few minutes while I pondered.

"And you want to know the worst part?" I said abruptly, going back to my high school years. Anna glanced nervously at me.

"Jake was a player, he was always a player."

* * *

It was the first day that I had gone back to school, the first in weeks. I was terrified that I would see him and he would see me, so I went out of my way to avoid him, but some things just couldn't be avoided.

I turned a corner and froze in despair. There he was, at the end of the hallway, gorgeous as ever, his arms around a tan girl with long, flowing blond hair. _That should be me_, I thought, and then I turned around, vowing I would never think of Jake again.


	7. Surprises

The next morning I woke up feeling horrible. I stood up to look in the mirror and grimaced at my reflection; I looked like a zombie. I groaned. In less than a week the crew would be rehearsing in the Arena.

Being in front of eighteen thousand people, dancing with Justin Bieber. I swallowed hard. I had heard stories about Beliebers . . . the hard core ones. They hated every girl that had anything to do with Justin. I had seen Selena Gomez's twitter, it was covered in rude comments and even death threats. Would I be next?

"Hey sleepy head, you ready?" Anna asked me suddenly. Like I have a choice, I thought.

"Ready for what?" I asked groggily.

"Don't you remember? Nick scheduled practice for nine this morning, we're going all day, remember?" She prompted. I glanced at the clock, fifteen till.

"Shoot!" I cried, running into the bathroom. "Why didn't you wake me up? Now I'm going to make us late!"

"Wow, cool it Lilly, we'll be fine. You were the one who fainted yesterday anyway. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said as I thrust a toothbrush in my mouth and searched my suitcases for a clean outfit.

"Are you?" She didn't sound convinced.

"Yeah, I'm good," I promised.

"But what about," her voice dropped, even though we were alone. "You know, the thing we talked about last night? Have you made up your mind?"

"I don't know what you mean," I snapped, getting frustrated as I tried to get dressed, toothpaste spurting over my clothes.

"I mean, have you decided what you are going to do about Justin?"

"I don't see why I have to do anything about him, it might be safer if I don't."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, being the new girl dancing with him isn't exactly going to go well with the fans, is it?" I asked her.

"Oh, no I guess not. But who cares?"

"I care! Haven't you seen what they can do?"

"Yes, but oh my gosh Lilly, this is a little extreme. Are you just trying to find an excuse not to like him? When are you ever going to get over Jake?" Anna said sharply. I spun around in anger, but stopped. My shoulders drooped.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I think I'm annoyed with Justin, he's such a lady's man. He's a player, and he knows it. I don't really want to get into it." Anna had a strange look on her face.

"Okay, so forget it. Don't like him."

"What?" I said. That was not what I had expected.

"I've argued this with you long enough. If you're too scared to ask him out or anything, then forget it. I give up."

"What did you just say to me? I am _not_ scared of him."

"Then prove it!" She challenged me. I smirked.

"Okay, fine. I will."

We were five minutes late, but I didn't care. I was thinking about what Anna said. I had a thing with dares, with competition. I just _had_ to be the best, there was no other option. Anna had provided me with a challenge, and I would make it happen.

We walked into the studio and put our stuff down.

"There you are. Feeling better Lilly?" Nick asked as we walked over. Justin looked at me, looking somewhat impatient.

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry, don't know what happened yesterday," I said, putting my hair behind my ear. It hung loose today, around my shoulders, something I never did. It got in the way while I danced, but for some reason today felt like a good day to wear it down.

"Okay everyone, we're going to take about fifteen minutes to work in our partnerships on the dance," Nick instructed. I nudged Anna, who stood frozen in fear. I felt the same way, but I was ready. _You've got this_, Anna mouthed, and I grinned. Yes, yes I did.

Everyone started pairing up, and I forgot all about Anna and Nick. He was standing there, his hands in their usual place in his pockets. He was smiling flirtatiously at me, and I almost bolted out the door right then. Instead I forced myself to walk forward.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, _I'm fine_," I said, turning to the mirror and doing a dance step.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't know, you guys don't have to worry about me, we just need to get this done."

He didn't answer right away, and I glanced at him. He was looking sternly at me, it was hilarious. He just didn't exactly have that type of face that could make you feel like you were in trouble.

"We look out for each other Lilly, it's what we do," he explained.

"Whatever, let's just start from three," I said, walking to his left to start the dance. I turned to see if he was ready, and I saw that same flirty smile. Okay, I thought. I take it back, he definitely can make you feel you're in trouble.

"Three, four, five, six," I counted, and we danced. It wasn't great, and I wasn't satisfied. Suddenly he took my hand to turn me, and I stopped.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, it's just there was no connection," I said. He seemed even more confused, and I threw my head back and laughed.

"What? What?" He half laughed with me.

"You don't know what connection is?" I asked him.

"Um, no." He looked down. Oh my gosh, am I intimidating him?

"Okay, here," I said quickly, taking his hand.

"We have to have tone. We're doing an arch, so you have to give it some dynamics by bringing it around really sharp, okay?" I explained. He nodded his head, paying close attention. I almost forgot, he was just as competitive as I was. He would work on this until he had it perfect, I knew that much.

"I'm going to push on your hand, and you have to push right back. But the strength can't come from your arm, it has to come from your feet so you don't fall over, got it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. I grinned, he was a fast learner.

"Okay, let's do it again." We took our places and I started counting again. This time when we did the turn it worked perfectly.

"Yeah! Swag right there," he said. I laughed, and his brown eyes sparkled.

"How long have you been dancing? Like forever?" He asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. What about you?" I asked automatically. I wanted to smack myself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I don't know, a few years."

"Oh, well for a few years, that wasn't bad," I said.

"Well, for forever, that wasn't bad either," he teased. I couldn't help it, I punched his arm. It popped my knuckles, and it was his turn to laugh.

"What?" I said, rubbing my hand. "Little JB works out? Since when?" His smile stayed, though I could tell I had hit a nerve, which was what I was going for.

"Sorry," he said. "For a dancer, you sure have weak hands."

"I'll show you weak hands," I mumbled. "From the top."

Just then Nick called us back to attention, but I saw Justin smirking beside me. I smirked back at him, sending the message that I was ready to beat him at anything. I knew how competitive he was, and that would make it all the more fun when I won.

We danced for another few hours in the group, so I didn't get to talk to Justin very much. We worked hard, and by twelve we were looking pretty good. I still wasn't satisfied with the partnership piece, so when lunch rolled I stayed in the studio to practice while everyone else left for the lobby.

I went through the routine slowly, over and over again, slowing getting to the point of perfection. I knew each routine by heart now, I was just polishing it.

I walked over to turn on JB's song, and when I turned around I saw him in the corner, practicing away.

"Hey! How long have you been here?" I called over to him, and he looked up innocently.

"As long as you have," he said, turning his attention back to the mirror.

"Well why didn't you say anything?" I asked, annoyed.

"You were busy."

"Well I'm not busy now," I said, putting a hand on my hip. He turned to grin at me, and then walked over.

"From the top," we said at the same time, then we laughed. I pressed play on the sound system, and we danced.

We continued to practice for the next half an hour of lunch, going through each step dozens of times until we had them down. It was finally to a point that I was satisfied, and we sat down against the mirrors to take a breather.

"There, happy now?" He asked. I nodded and shrugged.

"I think so. Man, if we practice like this for the rest of the week, it will definitely be ready for Jobing," I said.

"That's what I'm talking about," he agreed. He turned to glance at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He looked out the window at the back of the room.

"Hey, do you have a cell phone?" He asked. I almost laughed. Was that why he looked so nervous? Was that what he had been trying to gather the courage to ask me?

"Yes. Want my number?" I said casually. His face lit up, and we pulled out our phones and exchanged numbers.

Just then the rest of the dance crew walked in, and we continued rehearsal.

"He asked for your number?!" Anna freaked that night at our hotel.

"Yep," I said proudly.

"Hang on, what is it?" She said excitedly. "Not very many people can say they have Justin Bieber's phone number!"

"He asked me not to tell Anna, okay? Forget it!" I said firmly. She laughed.

"I know, I know, I just wanted to see what your reaction. Wow, you're actually better at this then I thought! Also I was watching you guys practice during lunch break, you looked amazing! Absolutely fluid and natural, it's really incredible."

"Thanks," that was what I wanted to hear.

"What about you and Nick? How did you guys do?" I asked. Her face turned peach, and her eyes looked down at the ground.

"What? Did he ask you out?" I asked. She shook her head.

"What then?"

"I asked him out." It was my turn to freak.

"Ah! What did he say?" I cried. Anna looked up, a big grin on her face.

"We're hanging out the night after the show," she said. "He seemed very pleased that I asked him, I was so worried."

"I knew you could do it!" I patted her on the back. Suddenly my phone buzzed. I went to my bag to check it, and almost fainted again when I saw who it was from.

Anna didn't miss a beat.

"What did he text you?"

"It just says 'meet me at studio in 10 min, i need help.' What in the world is that supposed to mean?" I asked. "Besides, it's almost ten. I would be crazy to go now."

Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Just do it."

"No! I'm not going to do it just because Justin_ Bieber_ asked me to."

"Lilly Rae Allen, you do as I tell you!" Anna said sternly. "That boy is into you and you are into him. If you turn him down he'll think you don't like him, which is _so_ not the case." I glared at her, and she smiled, knowing she had won.

"Fine," I said, pulling on a pair of dance pants.

"Back by twelve, okay?" Anna winked at me, and I punched her arm before running out to my blue convertible. It was pitch black outside except for the lights from the city. I was so going to pay for this late-night trip.

I sped over to the studio, but I didn't see a car out in front. Probably had some limo drop him off or something, I thought, slightly agitated.

I was walking up to the glass doors, wondering if they would be open, when I heard a voice from overhead.

"Lilly!" I turned to look up at Justin leaning over the side of the roof.

"How did you get up there?" I asked.

"Believe it or not I don't have a key to the studio, so we'll have to dance up here. There's a ladder over on the left side," he prompted. I walked into the alley beside the studio, and sure enough, there was an iron ladder attached to the brick wall.

"Is this okay? I can't believe you came, I thought it would be too late for you," he winked at me as I started to climb the ladder. When I reached the top he was waiting for me, his hand ready to pull me up.

"Yeah, you better have a good reason for making me come, I need my beauty sleep," I teased. He smirked.

"I thought you were the type of girl who was always ready to dance." Oh, burn.

"I _am_, which is why I'm here. So what did you want so desperately to work on?"

"Oh . . ." He suddenly looked away. He seemed to be struggling to find an answer. Was it just me, or was he actually trying to make something up?

"Actually," I said quickly, "I was thinking maybe we could do that under-arm turn sequence, the one with the connection."

He agreed without hesitation.

"Yeah, that was what I was going to say. You read my mind," he half-smiled at me.

"No, that is utterly impossible," I said honestly. "Sometimes I wish I could though," I muttered before giving myself an internal kick. Why did you say that?

"Really? Why?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. To get inside Justin Bieber's head for once, isn't that every girl's dream?" I asked indifferently. He laughed.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Well, it is. Every girl is all over you. Does that ever get annoying?" I asked, leaning up on the stone wall. I could now see that this was his intention all along, just to talk to me, not to dance. Okay, fine by me. When would I have this chance again anyway?

"Not usually. Sometimes it's weird that I go places and I have thousands of people waiting for me, but I always think 'I'm Justin'. . ." He looked at me, anticipating my reaction. I smiled.

"What?" He asked.

"That's really nice in a way. I was expecting you to say that you never ever got tired of girls fawning over you, and you just loved the way everyone around the world is obsessed with you. It's just nice to hear what sounds like the truth coming from a normal person."

"I think I understand I'm not living a normal life anymore, but I'm normal."

"What about the press? Don't you feel like you're under a lot of pressure, growing up in front of the world?" I asked curiously. He didn't look uncomfortable at my questions, in fact, he looked very relaxed.

"Yes, it happens every once in a while. Sometimes I wish I could just be normal, go out and skateboard and nobody would care, but I know that is obviously not the case anymore. Growing up has been a difficult process, but at the end of the day, I'm not completely grown up. I'm still learning. I'm going to grow up how I grow up. I'm not going to try to conform to what people want me to be," he said.

"But what about what you want to be?" I said quietly. He didn't answer for a moment.

"I want to be successful and great at what I do. I have always wanted that, every since I was a little kid. And I know in order to do that, I have to work as hard as I can, be good to people and treat them with respect," he said. I looked at him, and he was looking at me.

"I know what you're thinking."

"What?"

"You're thinking about all of those pictures of me attacking reporters and stuff. But I gotta tell you, there is a misconception that I hate paparazzi. I don't I simply don't like aggressive ones. There have been many times where the interaction has been combative from the start. It's just not right."

"Wow," I said. "I never thought of it like that. I mean I knew lots of people hated you, but I didn't know they did that to you."

"Yeah, so I have a good reason to do or say the things I say, just please don't take it the wrong way." He smiled sweetly at me, but I didn't smile back.

"You think it's okay to swear at them or flip them off? How is that okay?" I said angrily. "I understand that they may come up insulting you or your family, but I just don't think it's right to respond that way." I expected him to get angry, but he just look at me critically.

"How you have me react?"

"Didn't it ever occur to you that their words do nothing to you? I mean, the paparazzi aren't physically attacking you, you are perfectly safe with your crazy bodyguard and stuff. There isn't anything to be afraid of, so when they start saying those things they can do nothing to hurt you. Those people are just putting themselves lower by insulting you, but the decision is yours to lower your guard and react violently back," I reasoned. He looked as if he were considering that.

"Okay, but what if they start threatening me? Or someone I love?"

"Oh, like Selena Gomez?" I saw him twitch. "All the things on her twitter? None of it ever happens though, does it?"

"No, but it's not right. You just don't say things like that to people."

"No, but it's not right to attack them either or cuss at them. Justin, you said it yourself. In order to be the best, you _have_ to treat people with respect. _Always_. No matter what."

He put his head in his hands and we didn't say anything for about a minute.

"You are really good at making me feel horrible about myself, you know that?" He said, his voice muffled by his arms. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else."

"Okay, like what?"

"What's your favorite song you've sung?" I asked casually. He laughed at the turn of the conversation, and all tension was washed away.

"Be Alright. What about yours?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Either Never Say Never or Believe."

"How come?" He asked. I didn't answer. How could I tell him that those songs had helped me through one of the darkest times in my life? I couldn't tell him about Jake, I couldn't.

Suddenly his hand was on my chin, turning my face to look at him.

"Hm? You gonna tell me?" He asked playfully. I swatted his hand away, rolling my eyes.

"Those songs are my inspiration. They tell me that I can do anything if I really set my mind to it."

"That's what I wanted to hear. You really can do anything if you put your mind to it. Just look at me!" He said arrogantly. I cleared my throat, and he laughed.

"Okay, I guess look at you too. We've both come pretty far, haven't we?" He said. I nodded slightly. Suddenly I heard his voice, quietly singing one of my favorite songs, Believe.

_Just look at us now._

_Cause everything starts from something,_

_but something would be nothing,_

_nothing if your heart didn't dream with me._

_Where would I be?_

_If you didn't believe._

His voice was beautiful, especially because he was just singing to me. He sang the whole song, and by the end my eyes were filling with tears. It was really, really stunning.

"You're amazing," I said, and his eyes sparkled. "I don't care what any stupid paparazzi say, and you shouldn't either for that matter. I think you have the most amazing gift in the world. You have so much influence on everyone everywhere, that even the slightest decision can change peoples' lives. Like your hair," I added, and he laughed.

"Yeah, no seriously, when I got my haircut it was just crazy! I mean, hold the phones and for goodness sake, someone, please alert the media because I got a haircut! I mean really?" He cried, and I giggled.

"It's just a haircut people! The fabric of the universe wasn't altered, just the length of my hair!" He exclaimed. I laughed all the way through his rant, and by the time he was finished I was out of breath.

"Holy cow Justin, chill," I choked, then glanced at my phone. "Oh gosh, it's way late! We haven't even done anything! Shame on you!" I shouted playfully, hitting him in the stomach.

"Hey!"

"We both need to get to bed, we have another all day rehearsal tomorrow."

"Technically it's this morning . . ."

"Oh shut up Justin," I said.


	8. Foosball

My evening with Justin felt like a dream, I could hardly contain myself when I got back to my hotel. I walked in quietly, so as not to wake up Anna, but when I climbed into bed she was suddenly awake.

"How did it go?" She asked quietly, trying to hide her sleepiness.

"It was . . ." I paused. "Great."

"Did you work out some routines?"

"Oh, . . . not really. I think he just wanted to talk, that's all," I said. Anna shot up.

"What did you guys talk about?" She asked, intrigued.

"Go back to sleep," I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. I didn't expect her to stop interrogating me, but she did as I said and laid back in bed. I laid down in my own bed and stared up at the ceiling.

It was really strange tonight how easy it was to talk to Justin. He was very relaxed through out the whole thing, even when I got angry. I could only hope I enjoyed tonight as much as he did.

I got out my phone and texted him.

_thx 4 2night_, I wrote. Seconds later he replied.

_no prob u ready 4 rehearsal at jobing?_

_no_, I admitted, a bit ashamed. _ask me in a month then maybe_

_haha i won't forget_, he texted back.

The morning of the rehearsal came quicker than I would have liked it to. I delayed getting out of bed to change into sweats and pull up my hair into a high ponytail. I felt like I was carrying the weight of the sky.

_Pressure, pressure, pressure_. Everything screamed at me as Anna and I drove to the Arena. My muscles were tense. I didn't want to admit it, but I was nervous. Not nervous of dancing in front of thousands of people, just what they would think of me. First impressions were important.

We walked in through the front, we had no idea where else to go. Thankfully a crew member was directing us backstage, and we hurried to meet the rest of the dancers.

The Arena was huge, full of thousands of seats for concerts or sports events. I could see the crowd of screaming girls now, and I gulped. What would they think of me when they saw a strange alien girl dancing with their precious Justin Bieber?

"Hey Anna!" Nick called from backstage. Anna froze in her tracks, and I nudged her. She kept walking, though reluctantly. I smiled, enjoying the way Nick only addressed the cute red-head.

"Hey, we're just about start, come onto the stage," he invited us. We walked onto the large, black stage, complete with risers, curtains and projector screens.

When we walked onto the stage we saw the strangest sight. Justin, in his usual saggy leather pants and wife-beater, being detached from a large pair of angel wings. Or were they butterfly wings?

He grinned at me when he saw me and I looked back at Nick, who was flirting with Anna as I walked over to Justin.

"So, is your first song called 'Butterfly Magic?'" I asked. He scowled.

"I was kidding," I said hastily. He relaxed a little as the stage crew finished unclipping him.

"Sorry," I said.

"Actually," he said, ignoring my apology, "my first song is–"

"All Around the World, I know," I said quickly. "I dance in that routine, remember?" Justin's cheeks flushed, and I scolded myself. What, did you come over here to make him embarrassed?

"So," I said casually. "Get enough sleep last night?"

"Psh, sleep?" He winked at me and I laughed. He seemed like he wanted to tell me something else when suddenly Nick called us over and we began rehearsing.

The rehearsal, in one word, frightening. Everything I looked I saw horrified and jealous female faces jeering at me. My stomach would twist with anxiety, and then I would catch a glimpse of Justin looking at me. He would throw me a small smile and all of my worries would melt away.

The day was long and rough, and I hurt all over after we were dismissed. Anna and I walked outside, the blue lights of the Jobing Arena lighting up the black sky. We were hot, sweaty, and tired, and all I needed was a good, long sleep.

"So, ready to head back to the hotel?" I asked her. Her shoulders rose half an inch and she dropped her head just a bit, creating a very sheepish look.

"Actually, Nick and I . . ."

"Oh," I said. "That's okay, you go and have fun. Just don't stay out too late, okay?" I said, smiling sadly. I had been hoping Anna would keep me from my worries tonight.

"I won't," she promised. "Nick is in charge of the dance company, he wouldn't keep me from my beauty sleep."

"What are you guys doing, anyway?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Just going out to eat, we don't have time for much else."

"It's only nine," I said. Then I saw Nick's car pull up, the window rolled down.

"Anna, ya coming?" He called. Anna giggled, waved to me, and ran to climb in. I watched them drive away. I realized with I start that I was slightly jealous. Anna could go out on a date any night she wanted, but not me. The guy I liked had too much on his hands already. A relationship, although that's what he says he wants the most, is the last thing he needs right now. Especially from a fellow crew member. Oh, I groaned in my head. Imagine the publicity. The press would have a hay-day . . .

I got back to the hotel soon enough, but I didn't feel like going upstairs to give in to my worries. Instead I wandered the hotel, searching for something to distract me. I found myself in the game room, which was deserted.

A large room with arcades, pool tables, foosball and wii television sets, it looked like a swaggy place to hang out . . . hang on, did I just think swaggy?

I moaned and sunk into a cushioned chair, dropping my bag on the floor and throwing my head up to look at the ceiling. I closed my eyes for about two minutes, trying to clear my head, and when I opened them I saw two soft brown eyes staring back at me.

"Justin!" I shot up out of the chair, but tripped over the coffee table and had to struggle to regain my balance. He grabbed my arms to steady me.

"Wow, take it easy! Sorry, did I scare you?" He smirked. I let go of his arms.

"No," I straightened my shirt self-conciously. "I was almost asleep, and you startled me."

"Oh, not the same thing," he said.

"Not at all," I agreed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be doing, I don't know, something more productive?" He shrugged.

"I didn't really feel like sleeping, so I thought I would go and see if I could challenge someone to game of foosball," he said slyly. Was it just me, or was he implying that I had already lost before we had even started?

"Oh, you are _so_ going down," I said, grinning and running over to the nearest foosball table. I had grown up with this game, I was a pro.

"We'll see about that," his voice anxious for the challenge. I set the ball down in the middle and we began.

"What's the farthest place you've been to?" He asked me, catching the ball before it went into the hole.

"Mexico! What about you?" I asked, not really paying attention. He stopped for a second, and I looked up.

"Um . ."

"Oh well, okay fine then. I forget you've been like, everywhere. What's your favorite food?" I asked quickly, blocking the ball from the end of the table.

"Speghetti. Yours?"

"Nutella."

"That doesn't count!" He argued playfully as the ball danced around the table.

"Does too! It can be a food!"

"Okay then, most embarrassing moment?" He almost shouted he was so into the game. I hesitated. I had never really been embarrassed, until I met him. What would I say?

"Speaking in front of large crowds of people. What about you?"

"I don't have one."

"That's not possible! Maybe in an interview?" I suggested, spinning the foosball players.

"Interviews don't bother me. Maybe singing for Usher for the first time?"

"Touché. Best moment ever?" I asked.

"Hm. Tough one. Selling out Madison Square Garden maybe?" His eyes were focused intently on the game, but I could also tell he was enjoying himself.

"Winning competitions with my studio," I said. "Your turn." He didn't answer right away.

"Number of guys you've kissed?"


End file.
